Introduction to the IELTS | People’s Career | Call:8374545621

Introduction to the IELTS

 

The IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. It is prepared by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations together with its partners, including the British Council. The IELTS is a new test, and it has two versions.

The General Training (GT) module is for those who need an English language qualification for their work, because they are moving to an English-speaking country or simply because they want to measure their general English ability. Many governments around the world require some of their workers to have the IELTS, and so do many professional organizations and employers. The GT module tests your ability to use English in different social situations, and because this module is suitable for people wanting to do secondary education in an English-speaking country, there is also an educational part, but less than in the academic module. Overall, more than 1,500 organizations accept or require an IELTS qualification.

The Academic module is often used to check whether a student is ready to study in a university where the teaching is in English. Universities in many countries accept the IELTS as an English Language qualification, and even some universities in the USA now accept it instead, or as well as, the TOEFL test.

The IELTS is becoming more and more popular. Over a quarter of a million people take the test every year. There are more than 400 test centres in 120 countries, and the number is increasing all the time. The test centres are run by either the IELTS organizations or by the British Council, and your nearest British Council will be able to tell you where to take the test. Make sure that they know which module you want to take. You usually get your results in less than a month, and you have to wait for 90 days before you can take the test again. The result is usually valid for two years.

The IELTS exam lasts for two hours and 45 minutes. It has a listening, a reading, a writing and a speaking part. There is no grammar part to the test, and grammar is not tested as intensively as it is in (for example) the Proficiency test, but if you have bad grammar you will not do well. The listening, reading and writing are set in that order, but because it is harder to arrange, the speaking may be the first or the last part of the exam.

The Listening lasts 30 minutes. There are four sections and 40 questions in all. You will hear a conversation (for example someone wanting to buy something), a general talk, often giving you some kind of information – for example about a town or museum, A conversation related to learning or training, and an educational or training lecture. Recordings are played only once.

The Reading takes 60 minutes. It has three parts, and like the listening, has a total of 40 questions. The academic test is three passages. These come from books, magazines and newspapers, and at least one of these presents an argument (arranges facts to persuade you of something), which you must show you have understood. The GT reading has a wider mixture of material, mostly the sort of thing that someone living in an English-speaking country would come across every day. As well as books and magazines, there is material from advertisements, pamphlets and instruction manuals. One text will be longer and descriptive.

The Writing also takes an hour. There are two parts. The academic writing has a report of about 150 words for the first part, in which you have to describe the information shown in a schematic (e.g. a graph, table or diagram). The second is about 250 words, in which you have to discuss an opinion or a situation. In the GT the first part is also 150 words, in which you have to ask for information or explain something. The second part is 250 words, and is discursive (that is, you have to explain your opinion on something).

The Speaking is somewhere between 10 minutes and a quarter of an hour. You have to answer some questions from the interviewer, about things like where you live and your hobbies or other personal details. You then have talk for some time on a particular topic, though you are given a minute to prepare what you are going to say, and the final few minutes are spent in a more general conversation with the interviewer.

Each module is marked in a band from 1-9, but as each band is divided into two, you can get any one of 18 different marks. There is no ‘pass’, since the mark you want will depend on what you need the test result for. Some people doing the test might not think listening is important, while it might be vital for others.

The bands are:

9 = expert user

Fluent and functional English. Understands well, and can express what he wants to say. (Notice that you do not need perfect English to get a band 9 mark).

8 = very good user

Makes only occasional mistakes, and mostly these do not affect understanding. Can read and explain fairly complicated ideas.

7 = good user

Makes mistakes, and sometimes uses ungrammatical language. There are occasional misunderstandings, but someone at this level can generally use and understand complicated sentences.

6 = competent user

Can use complicated language, but only in areas which he knows well. Makes mistakes and sometimes uses the wrong words or expressions. Sometimes does not understand complicated English.

5 = modest user

Makes mistakes often, but though he does not understand every word, usually understands what he is hearing or listening to is about. Can use and understand English adequately only in some situations.

4 = limited user

Cannot make or understand complicated English. Does not understand complicated explanations, makes many mistakes. But he can usually communicate and understand basic ideas.

3 = extremely limited user

Has difficulty in saying what he wants in English. Often does not understand what he hears or reads.

2 = intermittent user

Only understands some words, and has trouble making them into basic sentences. Can only communicate basic ideas with difficulty.

1 = non-user

Understands a few English words, but not enough for communication.

0 = no attempt

Did not attempt the test

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

Introduction to IELTS speaking module | People’s Career | Call:8374545621

Introduction to IELTS speaking module

The speaking module is the same for the general and academic exam. The test takes an average of about fifteen minutes to complete. Unlike some other speaking exams you have your own examiner. The examiner does not make up the questions you will be asked – the questions are written down on a sheet called the ‘examiner frame’. The only part where the examiner has more control is the third part of the test where the examiner can change the language level to what is considered suitable to the skill that you have shown in the first parts of the test. The conversation is recorded, so if the idea makes you nervous, practice with a recorder to make sure you are used to this happening.

Here are the different parts of the test (you can also see the parts in more detail after this introduction):

Part 1

The examiner introduces herself. (Your examiner might be a woman or a man. Since our experience is that examiners are slightly more likely to be women, we will use the female pronoun here.) You are expected to introduce yourself as well. You will need to show that you are the person who is on the list of candidates. After this you will be asked some general questions on topics on the examiner’s question sheet.

This part takes four or five minutes

Part 2

This is sometimes called the ‘long turn’. You have to look at a question topic. You have a minute to prepare what you want to say on the topic, and then you have to speak on it for about a minute. Afterward, the examiner will ask one or two questions based on what you have said.

This part takes about four minutes

Part 3

The examiner will ask you questions, usually on the topic that you have just talked about. Often these are more ‘abstract’; such as ‘What is your opinion of …?’ or ‘What would you do if …?’ This part is meant to be in the form of a conversation, so you have to keep your part of the conversation going.

Marking

You are assessed on four things (criteria)

• Fluency and Coherence
• Lexical Resource
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy
• Pronunciation

Fluency and coherence checks whether you can talk in a normal manner without long silences, and that you can join up your ideas. So a long ‘errrrrrrrrrrr …’ followed by silence will lose you marks while ‘Now, there was something else I wanted to say about that … no, sorry, I’ve forgotten.’ means exactly the same but will impress the examiner! Use of ‘link words’ like ‘also’, ‘after that’ ‘but on the other hand’ helps to give continuity to sentences.

Lexical resource comes in two parts – how good your vocabulary is, and how good you are at coping with gaps in your vocabulary by putting the idea in a different way. Unless your vocabulary is exceptional, you will sometimes find yourself looking for a word. Rather than stop talking, your examiner wants you to say the same thing differently. For example, you should know the word ‘envelope’ but if you suddenly find a horrible blank where that word should be, you should simply say ‘the thing that you put letters into before you post them’.

Grammatical range and accuracy. Again there are two parts to this. Your grammatical range is whether you can move smoothly to (for example) passives or perfect tenses if that is the best way of getting your meaning across, and secondly how well you do this. It is no use trying to use a wide range of grammatical structures if all you are doing is demonstrating that in fact you can’t do it! On the other hand, if you can use a variety of grammatical forms, then you must show this to the examiner.

Pronunciation. You are expected to have an accent. An accent shows where you are from, and no-one should be ashamed of that. But if you pronounce words so badly that it is difficult to understand you, or if your word and sentence stress, level and rhythm come at the wrong time (for example raising your tone in the middle of a question, rather than at the end), then you will lose marks.

Hints

(There are more of these in the detailed description of each speaking section)

You are tested on your ability to communicate. Don’t try to impress your examiner with your wide knowledge of grammatical forms or your huge vocabulary. Concentrate on getting your ideas across, and use the grammar and vocabulary that is most suitable for this.

Make sure that you have a few topics prepared – your favourite book, where you live, what you think about some movies or celebrities. But if you don’t get the opportunity to talk about something you have prepared, don’t do it anyway. The examiner will know if you change the subject to a ‘prepared topic’.

It is not absolutely compulsory to tell the truth. Liars can be good at English too. If you are asked about your hobby, and you don’t have one, but you know a lot about skateboarding because it’s your brother’s hobby, talk about skateboarding as if that was YOUR hobby.

Finally, relax! The examiner has only 15 minutes to discover how good you are at English. You know, (or should know) approximately how good your speaking is. If you come in looking depressed and frightened, you are telling your examiner ‘I don’t think my English is good enough, I think I will fail.’ Why give the examiner the benefit of that opinion?

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

 

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

 

Introduction to IELTS Listening | People’s Career | Call:8374545621

Introduction to IELTS Listening

The Listening is usually the first test that you will take for the IELTS exam. The total time of the test is 40 minutes. The test is divided into four parts, and there is a total of 40 questions which are worth one mark each. At the start of the test you are given two papers – a question paper and an answer sheet. As you listen to the tape you should write your answers on the spaces on the question sheet. After 30 minutes of the exam, you are given the last ten minutes to copy your answers from the question sheet to the answer sheet.

 

The questions

You have 30 seconds to look at the questions in each section before the recording starts. (Make sure that you use the time to read the questions, so that you know what type of information you should be listening for.) The listening is played only once. If you miss something the first time, you will not have another chance to hear it. The voices which you hear may be English, Australian or American, and remember that there are many differences between and among these accents. (For example, a Cornish accent from England sounds very different from a south London accent.)

The recording will always start with an introduction telling you some background information about what you are going to hear. This will be followed by instructions about what you have to do with the information.

Questions can be any of the following types.The descriptions might sound slightly confusing, but will become clearer when you have tried some practice tests.

Multiple choice.

Sometimes you have to choose one answer

Sometimes you have to choose the correct picture or diagram

Sometimes you must choose more than one answer to get a mark

Sometimes you must choose more than one answer, and each answer is worth a mark.

Short answers

Usually these are one word or a number, but you might need up to three words.
(numbers count as words, so 46, or forty-six is one word)

Short answers might be answers by themselves, or you might need to use answer to finish a sentence.

Completing notes or a diagram

Sometimes you need to put words in different places

Sometimes you have to choose a word from a list

Sometimes you have to match up two different lists (for example names and addresses)

Sometimes you have to label parts of a map or a diagram

Classification

Sometimes you have a list to sort out into types, (for example sorting people into groups)

Sometimes you have to match up two different lists (for example matching names and addresses)

The test

The four parts of the exam are divided into two conversations, and two monologues. They are also divided into social situations and training/educational situations. So you will get a social conversation and a social monologue, and a training/educational conversation and a training/educational monologue.

Part 1. This a social conversation, usually dealing with a ‘transaction’. (For example someone asking for information or buying something.) You will need to listen for specific information (for example names or prices).

Part 2. This monologue is something you might come across in everyday situations – for example a public announcement, or someone giving instructions about how to do something, or describing a particular situation. Again you need to listen for factual details.

Part 3. This is a conversation in related to education/training. For example you might hear a tutor and student discussing the results of a test, or someone asking for an explanation. Many students find parts 3 and 4 more difficult because you must not just listen for facts, but also for people’s opinions, and how they feel about the situation.

Part 4. This is an academic/training monologue. Someone will be giving an explanation or presenting an arguement. (Remember an arguement here is not a quarrel, but joining ideas together to reach a conclusion). You will need to understand the arguement, the main points and ideas and the conclusion. You may also be asked for specific facts or any opinions which the speaker reveals.

Hints and ideas for preparation

Listen to a lot of English on the radio. Also listen to music in which the words of the songs are clear. Songs are a good way of learning the rhythm of a language, as the timing of a song is often an exaggerated form of the timing of everyday speech.

Train yourself to listen for particular information, for example in a radio interview. Try and predict what people are going to say in situations in films. Learn the signs that information is about to be given (For example ‘Please remember that …’, ‘I told you not to ..’) when a question is asked, train yourself to know at once what type of reply is expected. (For example a name, a time or a number.)

When you get the question paper, read it carefully. Look for types of answer you might need. Look for keywords, and clues about what you can expect to hear.

Don’t skip over the instructions. Check carefully that know what you are supposed to do with each question. Make sure you know what type of answer is required.

When you are listening, if you hear something useful, like a name being spelled, write it down at once, even if you can’t immediately work out what you will do with the information.

Keep up with the recording. If you find that you are more than ten seconds behind, skip some answers instead of trying to rely on your memory. (The information usually comes in the same order as the questions.)

Listen for people changing their minds or being corrected. Sometimes this will mean that you have to change an answer.

Also listen for synonyms or people giving you the answers in a way that you do not expect. For instance if a multiple-choice answer is ‘six’ the speaker on the recording might say ‘half a dozen’.

When transferring your answers to the answer sheet, take the opportunity to check for silly errors. However, if you are uncertain, leave your original answer. People taking the exam just as often change right answers to wrong ones at this point.

Answer all the questions. If you are not sure, go with your instinct. An answer that is possibly wrong is still better than no answer.

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

Introduction to IELTS Reading | People’s Career | Call:8374545621

Introduction to IELTS Reading

This part of the exam lasts for 60 minutes. You will have to do three sections, and answer 40 questions. You get one mark for each correct answer. The passages and the questions are on the exam paper, and you need to put your answers on an answer paper. If you have put your answers on the question paper first, you will not be given extra time to copy them onto the answer paper. You will lose marks for bad spelling and grammar in your answers.

The IELTS is more varied than many other EFL exams, and the types of question and types of reading test can change. So in the IELTS it is very important to regard the instructions as part of the test, and read them very carefully. Even if you are running out of time, do not try to answer the questions before you are sure that you understand what you have to do.

The questions too can be of many different types. You might get multiple choice (usually you need to choose one of four options, or you might be given a statement and asked whether – according to the text – this information is true, false, or not given). You may have to give short answers or put missing words into a sentence. (With these last two, check carefully how many words you can write, and remember that this total includes articles and prepositions, but not punctuation.)

You might also be asked to select titles for the different parts of the text, fill in a chart or a table, or locate answers in a paragraph. (For this the paragraphs are numbered, and remember, the information you need will probably not be described with the words used in that paragraph.) You might also be asked to name the paragraph when the writer given an opinion about something. With this and with finding answers, you may have a choice which says that the information is not given in any of the paragraphs.

Each passage might have questions of one, two, three or four of the question types listed above. You almost always have at least two types.

Remember, with all reading exercises, it is a good idea to look at the questions before reading the passage. Then when you see what might be a possible answer in the test you can remember it and go back to it again when you start answering the questions. In the IELTS reading, time is always a problem. You should not divide the time into three 20 minute sections, but rather give slightly less time to the first test (16-18 minutes) and more to the last test (20-23 minutes).

The reading is either the Academic or the General Training module. You cannot mix up your modules and take (for instance) the General Training reading module and the Academic writing module. When you enrol to do the exam, you must say whether you are doing the General Training of the Academic vesrion of the exam, and you will only do the reading from the version you have selected. Therefore you only need to read the information about both modules if you are not sure which version of the exam you want to do. Otherwise, you only need to look at the information about your version of the exam.

Academic Reading module.

There are theee passages which together contain between 2,000 and 3,000 words, though the three passages will not all be the same length. For example one ‘passage’ might have a diagram or a graph without much text and you will be given questions that test whether you have understood the information being shown. (If any of the words in the diagram are unusual or technical, you will be given an explanation of the meanings.)

Another passage will be the sort of thing that you might find in a magazine or a book. This will be ‘real’ material (material that actually was published somewhere) and is chosen from things that would interest a person studying at university, or is the sort of thing that teachers require their students to read.

One passage is always an argument. Here ‘argument’ means that the writer has an opinion about something, and it trying to prove that this opinion is right. You do not have to disagree or agree with the opinion, but the questions will check that you have understood what the writer is trying to say, and you have understood the way that he has tried to prove his opinion.

With all the passages, you need to make sure that you understand what the text is about and how it is put together. (i.e. Whether it is a narrative, an argument, or presenting facts.)

General Training Reading module

Unlike the academic section, which has three passages of text (or two passages and a ‘non verbal’ section such as a graph or a diagram), the three sections of the General Training module can each have several shorter texts.

Section 1 will have two or three texts. These are from the sort of thing that you would need to understand if you were living in an English-speaking country. For example you might get the sort of instructions you would find on a sign, an advertisement, or part of an instruction manual for a product. You might also find texts from books or magazines. to answer the questions you will have to prove that you can find the important information in these texts, and are not confused by things like idioms or ‘headline’ English.

The second section is often a bit harder, so give it more time. This time there will probably be one or two texts, usually from an instruction manual, or (for example) from a booklet welcoming you to your new job and explaining how the system works.

Section three is generally a single text. It is usually the sort of reading you might find in a magazine. This is often a narrative or a description, though an interview is possible. Again this section is generally harder than the two previous sections, so allow more time to complete it.

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

 

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

 

 

Introduction to IELTS Writing | People’s Career | Call:8374545621

Introduction to IELTS Writing

 

Both the academic and general training modules of the IELTS are in two parts and last for one hour. The first task is shorter, and requires the candidate to write about 150 words. This task is worth one third of the marks for the paper, and therefore you should not spend more than 20 minutes on it. The second part should be about 250 words long and should take the remaining 40 minutes.

 

With both tasks, it is important to make sure that you understand what you have to do before you start writing. You can make notes on the question paper to help you to plan exactly what you are going to write on the answer sheets.

 

Remember that the examiners are looking for a clear, logical statement of what you want to say. So your reply must answer all the points required, going from one to the other in a logical way, and using plenty of connecting words and phrases, such as ‘and so …’ ‘as well as’ ‘Firstly’, ‘Secondly’ and so on.

 

You will get marks for using a wide range of appropriate sentence structures and vocabulary, but not if you torture your sentences to show how many language structures you can fit into one paragraph!

 

While your essays do not have to be exactly 150 and 250 words long, you will lose marks if an essay is too long or too short. Also if you are going to to repeat information that was given in the question, make sure that you rewrite it into your own words. If you make a mistake while you are writing, don’t scribble it out, but just draw a single line through the words you have got wrong, and write the correction after it.

 

Academic writing

 

Task 1

Here you will be given some graphical information which you have to summarize into a short report. This is often a graph, a table or a flowchart. (Flowcharts are boxes joined by lines showing how something happens. If more than one thing can happen the box will have extra lines coming from it showing the results of each outcome.) The examiners want to check that a candidate can interpret visual information and describe it, using appropriate language to point out the most significant items of data. Make sure you spend some time making sure that you understand what the visual information is trying to tell you, and do not worry if you do not know some of the technical words – use a short description instead. It is usually a good idea to start with a sentence giving a short description of what the entire question is about. (For example ‘This describes haw many people use a gym during the week; when they use it, and what facilities they use.’ or ‘This describes how to unpack a computer and connect the different parts together.’) Remember, your job is to summarize and present the information rather than to give your opinion about it.

 

General Training

 

Task 1

This is usually a letter in which you are given a particular problem or situation. You will be told what the situation is. (For example asking someone to attend a job interview.) There will be three ‘bullet points’ summarizing the information you have to give. (Remember not to simply copy this information word-for-word into your letter.) The question will usually let you know what tense you should use. for example the example above would require a future tense, whilst another, for example thanking someone for a nice dinner, would require a past tense. Remember that you must cover each of the ‘bullet points’ in the question, and organize what you have to say clearly and logically.

 

Academic and General Training

 

Task 2

This is a discursive piece of writing. This means that you must attack or defend an opinion, present your own opinion, or evaluate an issue. For both Academic and General Training this requires an organized extended piece of writing.

 

For example you may be be given this statement ‘Children today have too much money and free time’. You may be asked to discuss this – to present arguments why this statement is true, and compare these arguments with those against this idea. You may be asked to argue for, or against the opinion. Whatever the discussion topic, you should be prepared to give your opinions and justify them, and to challenge contrary opinions. You may also be asked to find the cause, or suggest a solution to a problem. Remember also that the main question might have several sub-questions, so with the example above remember to discuss the issues of money and free time.

 

Candidates are marked on how clearly and convincingly they present their argument, not on whether the examiner agrees with them. Grammar, a good range of vocabulary and the ability to put a case together will all be assessed. Candidates doing the General Training module can illustrate their points with personal experiences and anecdotes.

 

It is generally a good idea to start by summarizing the argument. Then present briefly the main points against the opinion you want to express. Then refute these points, give your own points and several supporting sentences, and conclude with a summary of your main point and where the discussion should go from there. (For example an essay on ‘Will the internet mean that one day people might never want to leave their houses’ might finish with the words ‘Therefore, no matter how good information technology becomes, people will still want to travel, and transport networks will have to exist for them.’)

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

 

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

What’s in the IELTS General Training Writing paper? | People’s Career Call:8374545621

What’s in the IELTS General Training Writing paper?

There are two Writing tasks and BOTH must be completed. 

In Task 1, you have to respond to a situation by writing a letter, for example asking for information or explaining a situation. You need to write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.

In Task 2 you are given a point of view, argument or problem which you need to discuss. You need to write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes.

You must write your answer using full sentences. You must not write your answer as notes or bullet points. You must write your answer on the answer sheet. You are allowed to write notes on the question paper but this will not be seen by the examiner.

Marking

Certificated IELTS examiners assess your performance on each Writing task. There are four assessment criteria (things which the examiner thinks about when deciding what score to give you):

1. Task achievement/response
2. Coherence and cohesion
3. Lexical resource
4. Grammatical range and accuracy.

Task achievement (in Task 1) and Task response (in Task 2) includes how accurately, appropriately and relevantly your response covers the task requirements, using the minimum of 150 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2.

In Task 1, Task achievement refers to how well your letter achieves its purpose.

In Task 2, Task response includes how well you develop your argument in response to the task, giving evidence and examples which may be from your own experience.

Coherence and cohesion includes how clear and fluent your writing is, and how you organise ideas and information. It includes giving your ideas in a logical order, and using a range of cohesive devices (including linking words and phrases such as ‘therefore’, ‘also’, ‘on the other hand’, etc., and pronouns such as ‘that’, ‘these’, ‘they’, etc.) appropriately.

Lexical resource includes the range of vocabulary you have used, and how accurately and appropriately you use it.

Grammatical range and accuracy includes the range of grammar you have used and how accurately and appropriately you have used it.

Summary

Time allowed:	60 minutes
Number of tasks:	2
Marking:	Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.

Tasks 1 & 2

General Training Writing – Task 1

What’s involved?	In General Training Writing Task 1, you are given a situation and you need to write a response of at least 150 words in the form of an informal, semi-formal or formal letter. The question paper tells you what information to include in the form of three bullet points. You might need to ask for or give information and/or explain a situation. To do this well, you will probably need to do some of the following: ask for and/or provide general factual information express needs, wants, likes or dislikes express opinions or complaints make requests or make suggestions/recommendations. The situations you need to write about are common, everyday situations such as: writing to a college accommodation officer about problems with your accommodation writing to a new employer about problems you are having with managing your time writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport writing to a renting agency to sort out problems with the heating system in your house. The style of writing that you use depends on who you are asked to write to and how well you are supposed to know them. You need to choose a style that is appropriate for your audience and will help you achieve your purpose for writing, e.g. writing to a friend (informal) or writing to a manager (semi-formal or formal). You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task. You need to write at least 150 words and will be penalised if your answer is too short. While candidates will not be penalised for writing more than 150 words, you should remember that a longer Task 1 answer may mean that you have less time to spend on Task 2, which contributes twice as much to your Writing band score. You should remember that you will be penalised if what you write is not related to the topic. You will also be penalised if your answer is not written as a whole piece of connected text (i.e. you must not use notes or bullet points). You will be severely penalised if your writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source). You do not need to write any addresses at the top of your letter. You must write your answer in the answer booklet
What skills are tested?	This task tests your ability to write a letter in English according to standard letter-writing conventions (i.e. what order to put information in, what style to use, how to start and finish a letter), to use accurate and appropriate language and to organise and link information well.
How much do I have to write?	A minimum of 150 words.

 

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General Training Writing – Task 2

What’s involved?	In General Training Writing Task 2, you need to write a semi-formal/neutral discursive essay of a minimum of 250 words. The instructions of Task 2 give information about an opinion, argument or problem. The instructions then tell you what you should discuss in your essay and may include: providing general factual information outlining a problem and presenting a solution presenting and possibly justifying an opinion evaluating and challenging ideas, evidence or an argument. You will need to write about a topic of general interest, such as: whether children’s leisure activities should be educational why families are not as close as they used to be and how they could be brought closer how environmental problems can be solved who should pay for the care of old people whether smoking should be banned in public places. You should make sure that you write your answer carefully so that you give a complete response that is also relevant. To do this you will need to organise your ideas clearly and make sure you use relevant examples (which can be from your own experience, if relevant) or evidence. For this task, you need to be able to discuss more abstract and complex ideas and use a variety of vocabulary and grammar. Task 2 contributes twice as much to your final Writing band score as Task 1. Therefore, if you do not answer this task, you will be unlikely to achieve a high band score. You must write at least 250 words and will be penalised if your answer is too short. You should spend no more than 40 minutes on this task. You should remember that you will be penalised if what you write is not related to the topic. You will also be penalised if your answer is not written as a whole piece of connected text (i.e. you must not use notes or bullet points). You will be severely penalised if your writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source). You must write your answers in the answer booklet.
What skills are tested?	This task tests your ability to produce an essay according to standard essay-writing conventions (i.e. what order to put information in, what style to use, how to start and finish discursive writing, how to paragraph), to organise and link information in a logical way and to use accurate and appropriate language.
How much do I have to write?	A minimum of 250 words.

 

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DOs and DON’Ts

DOs

1. Include all the information you are required to.
2. Write your answer on the answer sheet.
3. Link your ideas and paragraphs.
4. Keep to the timing.
5. Check your writing when you have finished – for style, completeness, linking, logical structure and accuracy of language.
6. Support arguments in Task 2 with examples and evidence.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t copy from other people’s work.
2. Don’t write less than the required number of words.
3. Don’t repeat task instructions in your writing.
4. Don’t write any addresses in the letter in Task 1.
5. Don’t use note form or bullet points.
6. Don’t leave out any required information.
7. Don’t waste your time learning essays by heart to use in the exam. You will be penalised for this and you will waste valuable time that could be spent developing good writing skills.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Where do I write my answers?

Write your answers in the Writing answer booklet. You will not get any paper for making notes, but you may write notes on the question booklet. The examiner will not see this.

Can I write in pen or pencil?

You can write in pen or pencil, but you must write clearly. You may erase/cross out and change parts of your writing, but you must make sure that your work is easy to read.

Should I write my answers in upper case (capitals) or lower case?

You will not automatically be penalised if all your letters are capitals. However, remember that punctuation is assessed in the Writing test and you may be penalised if it is not clear to the examiner where your sentences begin and end.

Will I be penalised if I don’t write enough words?

Yes. You must write at least 150 words for the Task 1 question and 250 words for the Task 2 question. If you don’t write enough words, you will be penalised.

If I make notes, will the examiner read them?

No. You will not get any paper for making notes, but you may write notes on the question booklet. The examiner will not see this.

Are the two tasks both worth the same number of marks?

No. Task 2 is worth more marks than Task 1. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.

How long should I spend on each task?

You have 1 hour to write your answers for the two tasks. It is your choice how you divide this time. However, remember that Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score – you may wish to spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. You should plan your work carefully before writing, and you should allow time to check your writing after completing a task or at the end of the test.

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

What’s in the IELTS Academic Writing paper? | People’s Career Call:8374545621

What’s in the IELTS Academic Writing paper?

There are two Writing tasks and BOTH must be completed. 

In Task 1 you have to describe some visual information in your own words (a graph, table, chart or diagram). You need to write at least 150 words in about 20 minutes.

In Task 2 you are given a point of view, argument or problem which you need to discuss. You need to write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes.

You must write your answer using full sentences. You must not write your answer as notes or bullet points. You must write your answer on the answer sheet. You are allowed to write notes on the question paper, but this will not be seen by the examiner.

Marking

Certificated IELTS examiners assess your performance on each Writing task. There are four assessment criteria (things which the examiner thinks about when deciding what score to give you):

1. Task achievement/response
2. Coherence and cohesion
3. Lexical resource
4. Grammatical range and accuracy.

Task achievement (in Task 1) and Task response (in Task 2) includes how accurately, appropriately and relevantly your response covers the task requirements, using the minimum of 150 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2.

In Task 1, all the information you require is given in the diagram.

In Task 2, Task Response includes how well you develop your argument in response to the task, giving evidence and examples which may be from your own experience.

Coherence and cohesion includes how clear and fluent your writing is, and how you organise ideas and information. It includes giving your ideas in a logical order, and using a range of cohesive devices (including linking words and phrases such as ‘therefore’, ‘also’, ‘on the other hand’, etc., and pronouns such as ‘that’, ‘these’, ‘they’, etc.) appropriately.

Lexical resource includes the range of vocabulary you have used, and how accurately and appropriately you use it.

Grammatical range and accuracy includes the range of grammar you have used and how accurately and appropriately you have used it.

Summary

Time allowed:	60 minutes
Number of tasks:	2
Marking:	Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.

Tasks 1 & 2

Academic Writing – Task 1

What’s involved?	In Academic Writing Task 1, you may be asked to describe facts or figures presented in: one or more graphs, charts or tables. These will be related in topic a diagram of a machine, device or process and asked to explain how it works. You have to include the most important points in the diagram. Some minor points or details may be left out. You should write in an academic or semi-formal/neutral style. You should spend no more than 20 minutes on this task. You must write at least 150 words and will be penalised if your answer is too short. While you will not be penalised for writing more than 150 words, you should remember that a longer Task 1 answer may mean that you have less time to spend on Task 2, which contributes twice as much to your Writing band score. You should remember that you will be penalised if what you write does not relate to the topic. You will also be penalised if your answer is not written as a whole piece of connected text (i.e. you must not use notes or bullet points). You will be severely penalised if your writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source). You must write your answer in the answer booklet.
What skills are tested?	This task tests your ability to identify the most important and relevant information and trends in a graph, chart, table or diagram, and to give a well-organised overview of it using language that is appropriately academic in its register and style.
How much do I have to write?	A minimum of 150 words.

 

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Academic Writing – Task 2

What’s involved?	In Academic Writing Task 2, you are given a topic to write about. Your answer should discuss the most relevant issues. You must read the task carefully so that you can write a full answer that is relevant. For example, if the topic is a particular aspect of the wider topic of computers, you should focus on this aspect only in your answer. You should not simply write about computers in general. You should write in an academic or semi-formal/neutral style. You will need to organise your ideas clearly and make sure you use relevant examples (which can be from your own experience, if relevant) or evidence. You should spend no more than 40 minutes on this task. You must write at least 250 words and will be penalised if your answer is too short. While you will not be penalised for writing more than 250 words, if you write a very long answer you may not have time for checking and correcting at the end and some ideas may not be directly relevant to the question. You may also produce handwriting which is unclear. Task 2 contributes twice as much to your final Writing band score as Task 1. Therefore, if you do not answer this task, you will not be able to achieve a high band score. You should remember that you will be penalised if what you write is not related to the topic. You will also be penalised if your answer is not written as a whole piece of connected text (i.e. you must not use notes or bullet points). You will be severely penalised if your writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source). Finally, you should make sure that you do not copy directly from the question paper because this will not be marked. You must write your answers in the answer booklet.
What skills are tested?	This task tests if you can write a clear, relevant, well-organised argument, giving evidence or examples to support your ideas, and use language accurately. You will be assessed on your ability to: present and justify an opinion compare and contrast evidence, opinions and implications evaluate and challenge ideas, evidence or an argument.
How much do I have to write?	You must write a minimum of 250 words.

 

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DOs and DON’Ts

DOs

1. Make sure that you read all of the information in the questions very carefully and respond appropriately.
2. Make sure that you follow all instructions including the number of words that you need to write.
3. Make sure that you finish Writing Task 1 after about 20 minutes to allow enough time to answer Writing Task 2.
4. Remember that Writing Task 2 carries more marks, so you need plenty of time to answer it.
5. Make sure that, for Task 1, you use figures or data from the question paper accurately.
6. Make sure that you plan your ideas before you begin to write. For Writing Task 1, stop to locate and select the most important pieces of information. For Writing Task 2, take time to organise your ideas and argument.
7. Be sure to provide supporting evidence for any of your claims or views in Writing Task 2.
8. Leave time to check your answer for careless mistakes at the end. Try to check for spelling mistakes, verb and subject agreement, singular/plural nouns, tense mistakes and problems of fluency.
9. Make sure that all of your ideas are relevant to the question.
10. Try to avoid repeating the same words, phrases and ideas too often. Try to use a range of vocabulary. Try to make sure that you do not repeat the same idea too often – make sure you explore different ideas to provide a well-balanced response.
11. Make sure you write as clearly as possible.
12. Make sure that you produce organised and linked paragraphs and that the style of your language is academic.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t copy from other people’s work.
2. Don’t write less than the required number of words.
3. Don’t repeat task instructions in your writing.
4. Don’t use note form or bullet points.
5. Don’t leave out any required information.
6. Don’t waste your time learning essays by heart to use in the exam. You will be penalised for this and you will waste valuable time that could be spent developing good writing skills.
7. Don’t simply copy words and phrases from the question paper – try to use your own words at all times by paraphrasing the question.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Where do I write my answers?

Write your answers in the Writing answer booklet. You will not get any paper for making notes, but you may write notes on the question booklet. The examiner will not see this.

Can I write in pen or pencil?

You can write in pen or pencil, but you must write clearly. You may erase/cross out and change parts of your writing, but you must make sure that your work is easy to read.

Should I write my answers in upper case (capitals) or lower case?

You will not automatically be penalised if all your letters are capitals. However, remember that punctuation is assessed in the Writing test and you may be penalised if it is not clear to the examiner where your sentences begin and end.

Will I be penalised if I don’t write enough words?

Yes. You must write at least 150 words for the Task 1 question and 250 words for the Task 2 question. If you don’t write enough words, you will be penalised.

If I make notes, will the examiner read them?

No. You will not get any paper for making notes, but you may write notes on the question booklet. The examiner will not see this.

Are the two tasks both worth the same number of marks?

No. Task 2 is worth more marks than Task 1. Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.

How long should I spend on each task?

You have 1 hour to write your answers for the two tasks. It is your choice how you divide this time. However, remember that Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score – you may wish to spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. You should plan your work carefully before writing, and you should allow time to check your writing after completing a task or at the end of the test.

Do I need to write a separate introduction and conclusion for Academic Writing Task 1?

In Task 1, you need to describe the visual information and present this information in an organised, coherent way. Therefore, you need to write an introduction, although this can be very short. Also, a short summary of the main trends or features is a good way to finish. Remember that you do not need to guess about the reasons for things in Task 1. (For example, do not write ‘I think this is probably because …’).

Will I be penalised if I do not write a formal introduction and conclusion for Academic Writing Task 2?

There is no separate assessment for introductions and conclusions. However, if you do not write an introduction and conclusion you may be penalised under Task achievement/response and Coherence and cohesion.

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

 

What’s in the IELTS General Training Reading paper? | People’s Career Call:8374545621

What’s in the IELTS Reading paper?

There are three sections of increasing difficulty. Section 1 may contain two or three short texts or several shorter texts. Section 2 contains two texts. In Section 3 there is one long text.

The texts in Section 1 deal with everyday topics, and they are the sort of texts that a person would need to be able to understand when living in an English-speaking country. You will need to pick out important information, e.g. from notices, advertisements and timetables. The texts in Section 2 focus on work topics, for example job descriptions, contracts and staff development and training materials. The text in Section 3 deals with a more general topic. The style of writing in Section 3 is generally descriptive (containing detailed information) and instructive (telling you how to do something). This Section 3 text is longer and more complex than the texts in Sections 1 and 2. Section 3 texts are taken from newspapers, magazines, and fictional and non-fictional book extracts.

You will need to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. You must transfer your answers during the hour you are given for the Reading test. Unlike the Listening test, no extra transfer time is given. You should be careful when writing your answers on the answer sheet because you will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Summary

Time allowed:	60 minutes (including transfer time)
Number of sections:	3; the total text length is 2,150–2,750 words
Number of questions:	40
Marking:	Each correct answer receives 1 mark. Your final score is given as a band score from 1–9 in whole or half-bands, e.g. e.g. 3.5, 8.

Question Type 1 – Multiple choice

What’s involved?	This type of question may be a question with three possible answers or the first half of a sentence with three possible sentence endings. In this task type, you have to choose: one answer from four possible answers: A, B, C or D or two answers from five possible answers: A, B, C, D or E or three answers from seven possible answers: A, B, C, D, E, F or G. Write the letter(s) of the answer(s) you choose on the answer sheet. The questions are in the same order as the information in the text: that is, the answer to the first question in this group will be before the answer to the second question, and so on. This task type may be used with any type of text.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests many different reading skills including, detailed understanding of specific points or general understanding of the main points of the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 2 – Identifying information (True/False/Not given)

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you are given a number of statements and are asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?’ You have to write ‘True’, ‘False’ or ‘Not given’ in the boxes on your answer sheet. It is important to understand the difference between ‘False’ and ‘Not given’. ‘False’ means that the statement contradicts the information in the text. ‘Not given’ means that the statement neither agrees with nor contradicts the information in the text. You must be careful not to use any information you already know about the topic of the text when choosing your answer.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to recognise specific information given in the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 3 – Identifying writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not given)

What’s involved?	In this type of question you are given a number of statements and asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer?’ or ‘Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?’ You have to write ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Not given’ in the boxes on your answer sheet. It is important to understand the difference between ‘No’ and ‘Not given’. ‘No’ means that the statement contradicts the writer’s view or claim. ‘Not given’ means that the statement neither agrees with nor contradicts the writer’s view or claim. You must be careful not to use any information you already know about the topic of the text when choosing your answer.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to recognise opinions or ideas.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 4 – Matching information

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to find specific information in the paragraphs (or sections) of a text. The paragraphs (or sections) are identified by letters A, B, C, etc. You will need to write the letters of the correct paragraphs (or sections) in the boxes on your answer sheet. Not every paragraph (or section) may be used and some paragraphs (or sections) may be used more than once. When the paragraphs (or sections) may be used more than once, the instructions will say: ‘You may use any letter more than once’.
What skills are tested?	This type of question assesses your ability to scan a text in order to find specific information. Unlike Task Type 5, (Matching headings), it focuses on specific information rather than the main idea. You may have to find: specific details, an example, reason, description, comparison, summary or explanation.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 5 – Matching headings

What’s involved?	In this type of question, there is a list of headings which are identified by Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.). A heading summarises the main idea of a paragraph or section of the text. You must match the heading to the correct paragraph or section. The paragraphs (or sections) are identified by letters A, B, C, etc. You will need to write the correct Roman numerals in the boxes on your answer sheet. There will always be more headings than paragraphs or sections, so some headings will not be used. It is also possible that some paragraphs or sections may not be included in the task. One or more paragraphs or sections may already be matched with a heading as an example on the question paper. No heading may be used more than once.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to identify the general topic of a paragraph (or section) and to recognise the difference between the main idea and a supporting idea.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 6 – Matching features

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to match a set of statements or pieces of information to a list of options. The options are a group of features from the text, and letters are used to identify them. You may, for example, have to match descriptions of inventions to the people who invented them. It is possible that some options will not be used, and that others may be used more than once. When it is possible to use any option more than once, the instructions will say: ‘You may use any option more than once’.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to recognise relationships and connections between facts in the text and your ability to recognise opinions and theories. You need to be able to skim and scan the text to find the information quickly so that you can then read that part more carefully for detail.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 7 – Matching sentence endings

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you are given the first half of a sentence based on information in the text and you have to choose the best way to complete the sentence by choosing from a list of possible endings. The endings are identified by letters A, B, C, etc. There will be more sentence endings than beginnings so you will not use all of them. You must write the letter you choose on the answer sheet. The sentence beginnings are in the same order as the information in the text.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to understand the main ideas in the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 8 – Sentence completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to fill in a gap in each sentence by choosing words from the text. You must write the words you choose on the answer sheet. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. The questions are in the same order as the information in the text.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to find detail/specific information in a text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 9 – Summary, note, table, flowchart completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you are given a summary of a part of the text, and have to complete it using words taken from the text. Note that the summary is not normally of the whole text. The summary may be in the form of: a continuous text (called ‘a summary’ in the instructions) several notes (called ‘notes’ in the instructions) a table with some parts of it left empty or partially empty (called ‘a table’ in the instructions) a series of boxes or steps linked by arrows to show the order of events, with some of the boxes or steps empty or partially empty (called ‘a flowchart’ in the instructions). The answers may not come in the same order as in the text. However, they will usually come from one part of the text rather than the whole text. There are two variations of this task type. In the first variation, you need to select words from the text which fit into gaps on the question paper. You must write the words you choose on the answer sheet. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. In the second variation, you have to choose from a list of words to fill the gaps. The words are identified by letters A, B, C, etc.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to understand details and/or the main ideas of a part of the text. When completing this type of question, you will need to think about the type of word(s) that will fit into a gap (for example, whether a noun is needed, or a verb, etc.)
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 10 – Diagram label completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to complete the labels on a diagram. The diagram is based on a description given in the text. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. The answers may not come in the same order as in the text. However, they will usually come from one part of the text rather than the whole text. The diagram may be a type of machine, part of a building or other information in the text that can be shown through pictures.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to understand a detailed description in the text, and then relate that description to information given in a diagram.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 11 – Short-answer questions

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to answer questions about factual details from the text. You must write your answers in words or numbers on the answer sheet. Answers must be taken from words in the text. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Numbers can be written using figures (1, 2, etc.) or words (one, two, etc.). Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. The answers come in the same order as the information in the text.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to find and understand specific information in the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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DOs and DON’Ts

DOs

1. Keep an eye on the time: it will probably seem to pass very quickly, so take care not to spend too much time on any one text or question. Remember that you only have 60 minutes to answer the questions and to transfer your answers on to your answer sheet.
2. Start at the beginning of the test and work through it. If you cannot do a particular question, leave it and go on to the next. You can then return to that question later, if you have time. Put a mark next to this question on the question paper so that you can find it again quickly.
3. Answer as many questions as you can.
4. Look carefully at the title of the text and any subtitles and illustrations it may have. You can get a quick idea of what the text is about from these.
5. Read the instructions for each set of questions very carefully: it is important to do exactly what you are asked to do.
6. Where appropriate, remember to skim the questions before reading the text so that you have a purpose for reading.
7. Make sure you give the text a quick read through so that you are familiar with the topic and how it is developed in the text. An understanding of the text structure can be very helpful when answering the questions.
8. Use the glossary, if there is one provided, to help you understand unfamiliar words.
9. Pay attention to any examples that are provided.
10. Make sure that your answers keep to the word limit asked for: if you are asked for ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS’, for example, then do not write more.
11. Make sure that you copy words accurately from the text: spelling mistakes will mean that you will lose the mark for that question.
12. Make sure that where you have to write an answer yourself, your answer is grammatically correct, (e.g. Short-answer questions, Sentence completion, Summary completion).

DON’Ts

1. Don’t waste time reading the whole text each time for each set of questions. Remember that many task types ask you to locate or check details in the text. In cases like this, you need to skim quickly through the text rather than read it all carefully.
2. Don’t go back to the beginning of the text for each question when you know from the task type that the answers will come in the order of the information in the text.
3. Don’t forget that questions can come before the reading text as well as after.
4. Don’t become anxious if there are questions you cannot answer. Leave them and move onto the next questions. You can always come back to the ones you couldn’t answer at the end of the test, if you have time.
5. Don’t worry if you don’t understand every word. It may not be necessary to understand all the words in order to answer the questions correctly.
6. Don’t forget that you must write your answers on your answer sheet. You will not be given extra time to do this at the end of the test.
7. Don’t write more than one answer when only one is required. Even if one of your answers is correct, you will not receive a mark.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I record my answers?

You must put all of your answers on an answer sheet during the 60 minutes allowed. You may write your answers on the question paper first if you like, but the examiner will not read these. No extra time is allowed to copy answers to the answer sheet.

When the instructions say that I should answer in, for example, NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, will I lose marks if I write an answer with more than three words?

Yes. Answers which are longer than the word limit will be marked as incorrect.

Will I lose marks for spelling and grammar mistakes in my answers?

All the words you will need in order to answer the questions will be given in the text. Remember to transfer your answers to the answer sheet with care. You will lose marks for poor spelling and grammar.

How long should I spend on each section?

Section 1 contains 14 questions and Sections 2 and 3 have 13 questions each. Each question carries one mark, and you should answer all questions. Remember to leave enough time for Section 3, which is usually more difficult than Sections 1 and 2.

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

 

What’s in the IELTS Academic Reading paper? | People’s Career Call:8374545621

What’s in the IELTS Academic Reading paper?

There are three reading texts with a variety of question types.

Texts come from books, journals, magazines and newspapers and have been written for a non-specialist audience. All the topics are of general interest to students at undergraduate or postgraduate level. The texts may be written in different styles, for example, narrative, descriptive or discursive/argumentative. At least one text contains detailed logical argument. Texts may also contain diagrams, graphs or illustrations. If texts use technical vocabulary, then a simple dictionary definition is provided.

You will need to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. You must transfer your answers during the hour you are given for the Reading test. Unlike the Listening test, no extra transfer time is given. You should be careful when writing your answers on the answer sheet because you will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Summary

Time allowed:	60 minutes (including transfer time)
Number of sections:	3; the total text length is 2,150–2,750 words
Number of questions:	40
Marking:	Each correct answer receives 1 mark. Your final score is given as a band score from 1–9 in or whole or half-bands, e.g. 4, 6.5.

Types of question

Question Type 1 – Multiple choice

What’s involved?	This type of question may be a question with three possible answers or the first half of a sentence with three possible sentence endings. In this task type, you have to choose: one answer from four possible answers: A, B, C or D or two answers from five possible answers: A, B, C, D or E or three answers from seven possible answers: A, B, C, D, E, F or G. Write the letter(s) of the answer you choose on the answer sheet. The questions are in the same order as the information in the text: that is, the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests many different reading skills including: detailed understanding of specific points or general understanding of the main points of the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 2 – Identifying information (True/False/Not given)

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you are given a number of statements and are asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the information in the text?’ You have to write ‘True’, ‘False’ or ‘Not given’ in the boxes on your answer sheet. It is important to understand the difference between ‘false’ and ‘not given’. ‘False’ means that the statement contradicts the information in the text. ‘Not given’ means that the statement neither agrees with nor contradicts the information in the text. You must be careful not to use any information you already know about the topic of the text when choosing your answer.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to recognise specific information given in the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 3 – Identifying writer’s views/claims (Yes/No/Not given)

What’s involved?	In this type of question you are given a number of statements and asked: ‘Do the following statements agree with the views of the writer?’ or ‘Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer?’ You have to write ‘Yes’, Nno’ or ‘Not given’ in the boxes on your answer sheet. It is important to understand the difference between ‘no’ and ‘not given’. ‘No’ means that the statement contradicts the writer’s view or claim. ‘Not given’ means that the statement neither agrees with nor contradicts the writer’s view or claim. You must be careful not to use any information you already know about the topic of the text when choosing your answer.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to recognise opinions or ideas.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 4 – Matching information

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to find specific information in the paragraphs (or sections) of a text. The paragraphs (or sections) are identified by letters A, B, C, etc. You will need to write the letters of the correct paragraphs (or sections) in the boxes on your answer sheet. Not every paragraph (or section) may be used and some paragraphs (or sections) may be used more than once. When the paragraphs (or sections) may be used more than once, the instructions will say: ‘you may use any letter more than once’.
What skills are tested?	This type of question assesses your ability to scan a text in order to find specific information. Unlike Task Type 5 (Matching headings), it focuses on specific information rather than the main idea. You may have to find: specific details, an example, reason, description, comparison, summary or explanation.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 5 – Matching headings

What’s involved?	In this type of question, there is a list of headings which are identified by Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.). A heading summarises the main idea of a paragraph or section of the text. You must match the heading to the correct paragraph or section. The paragraphs (or sections) are identified by letters A, B, C, etc. You will need to write the correct Roman numerals in the boxes on your answer sheet. There will always be more headings than paragraphs or sections, so some headings will not be used. It is also possible that some paragraphs or sections may not be included in the task. One or more paragraphs or sections may already be matched with a heading as an example on the question paper. No heading may be used more than once.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to identify the general topic of a paragraph (or section) and to recognise the difference between the main idea and a supporting idea.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 6 – Matching features

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to match a set of statements or pieces of information to a list of options. The options are a group of features from the text, and letters (A, B, C, etc.) are used to identify them. Write the correct letter on the answer sheet. You may, for example, have to match descriptions of inventions to the people who invented them. It is possible that some options will not be used, and that others may be used more than once. When it is possible to use any option more than once, the instructions will say: ‘You may use any option more than once’.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to recognise relationships and connections between facts in the text and your ability to recognise opinions and theories. You need to be able to skim and scan the text to find the information quickly so that you can then read that part more carefully for detail.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 7 – Matching sentence endings

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you are given the first half of a sentence based on information in the text and you have to choose the best way to complete the sentence by choosing from a list of possible endings. The endings are identified by letters A, B, C, etc. There will be more sentence endings than beginnings so you will not use all of them. You must write the letter you choose on the answer sheet. The sentence beginnings are in the same order as the information in the text.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to understand the main ideas in the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 8 – Sentence completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to fill in a gap in each sentence by choosing words from the text. You must write the words you choose on the answer sheet. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. The questions are in the same order as the information in the text.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to find detail/specific information in a text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 9 – Summary, note, table, flowchart completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you are given a summary of a part of the text, and have to complete it using words taken from the text. Note that the summary is not normally of the whole text. The summary may be in the form of: a continuous text (called ‘a summary’ in the instructions) several notes (called ‘notes’ in the instructions) a table with some parts of it left empty or partially empty (called ‘a table’ in the instructions) a series of boxes or steps linked by arrows to show the order of events, with some of the boxes or steps empty or partially empty (called ‘a flowchart’ in the instructions). The answers may not come in the same order as in the text. However, they will usually come from one part of the text rather than the whole text. There are two variations of this task type. In the first variation, you need to select words from the text which fit into gaps on the question paper. You must write the words you choose on the answer sheet. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. In the second variation, you have to choose from a list of words to fill the gaps. The words are identified by letters A, B, C, etc. Write the correct letter on the answer sheet.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to understand details and/or the main ideas of a part of the text. When completing this type of question, you will need to think about the type of word(s) that will fit into a gap (for example, whether a noun is needed, or a verb, etc.).
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 10 – Diagram label completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to complete the labels on a diagram. The diagram is based on a description given in the text. Write the words that fit into the gap on the answer sheet. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. The answers may not come in the same order as in the text. However, they will usually come from one part of the text rather than the whole text. The diagram may be a type of machine, part of a building or other information in the text that can be shown through pictures.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to understand a detailed description in the text, and then relate that description to information given in a diagram.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 11 – Short-answer questions

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to answer questions about factual details from the text. You must write your answers in words or numbers on the answer sheet. Answers must be taken from words in the text. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Numbers can be written using figures (1, 2, etc.) or words (one, two, etc.). Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. The answers come in the same order as the information in the text.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to find and understand specific information in the text.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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DOs and DON’Ts

DOs

1. Keep an eye on the time: it will probably seem to pass very quickly, so take care not to spend too much time on any one text or question. Remember that you only have 60 minutes to answer the questions and to transfer your answers on to your answer sheet.
2. Start at the beginning of the test and work through it. If you cannot do a particular question, leave it and go on to the next. You can then return to that question later, if you have time. Put a mark next to this question on the question paper so that you can find it again quickly.
3. Answer as many questions as you can.
4. Look carefully at the title of the text and any subtitles and illustrations it may have. You can get a quick idea of what the text is about from these.
5. Read the instructions for each set of questions very carefully: it is important to do exactly what you are asked to do.
6. Where appropriate, remember to skim the questions before reading the text so that you have a purpose for reading.
7. Make sure you give the text a quick read through so that you are familiar with the topic and how it is developed in the text. An understanding of the text structure can be very helpful when answering the questions.
8. Use the glossary, if there is one provided, to help you understand unfamiliar words.
9. Pay attention to any examples that are provided.
10. Make sure that your answers keep to the word limit asked for: if you are asked for ‘NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS’, for example, then do not write more.
11. Make sure that you copy words accurately from the text: spelling mistakes will mean that you will lose the mark for that question.
12. Make sure that where you have to write an answer yourself, your answer is grammatically correct, e.g. Short-answer questions, Sentence completion, Summary completion.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t waste time reading the whole text each time for each set of questions. Remember that many task types ask you to locate or check details in the text. In cases like this you need to skim quickly through the text rather than read it all carefully.
2. Don’t go back to the beginning of the text for each question when you know from the task type that the answers will come in the order of the information in the text.
3. Don’t forget that questions can come before the reading text as well as after.
4. Don’t become anxious if there are questions you cannot answer. Leave them and move onto the next questions. You can always come back to the ones you couldn’t answer at the end of the test, if you have time.
5. Don’t worry if you don’t understand every word. It may not be necessary to understand all the words in order to answer the questions correctly.
6. Don’t forget that you must write your answers on your answer sheet. You will not be given extra time to do this at the end of the test.
7. Don’t write more than one answer when only one is required. Even if one of your answers is correct, you will not receive a mark.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I record my answers?

You must put all of your answers on an answer sheet during the 60 minutes allowed. You may write your answers on the question paper first if you like, but the examiner will not read these. No extra time is allowed to copy answers to the answer sheet.

When the instructions say that I should answer in, for example, NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, will I lose marks if I write an answer with more than three words?

Yes. Answers which are longer than the word limit will be marked as incorrect.

Will I lose marks for spelling and grammar mistakes in my answers?

All the words you will need in order to answer the questions will be given in the text. Remember to transfer your answers to the answer sheet with care. You will lose marks for poor spelling and grammar.

How long should I spend on each text?

You have 60 minutes to read three texts and answer 40 questions. You should spend about 20 minutes on each text. Make sure that you do not waste time worrying about questions you can’t answer – use your time sensibly to read what you can and answer as many questions as possible

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html

What’s in the IELTS Listening paper? | People’s Career Call:8374545621

What’s in the IELTS Listening paper?

The paper has four sections, with ten questions in each section. The questions are in the same order as the information in the recording: that is, the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on. 

Summary

Sections 1 and 2 deal with everyday, social situations. There is a conversation between two speakers in Section 1 (for example, a conversation about travel arrangements). Only one person speaks in Section 2 (for example, a speech about local facilities).

Sections 3 and 4 deal with educational and training situations. In Section 3 there is a conversation between two main speakers (for example, two university students in discussion, perhaps guided by a tutor). In Section 4 only one person speaks on an academic subject.

You will hear the recordings once only. Different accents, including British, Australian, New Zealand and North American, are used.

You will need to transfer your answers to an answer sheet. You will have 10 minutes at the end of the test to do this. You should be careful when writing your answers on the answer sheet because you will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar.

Summary

Time allowed:	approximately 30 minutes (plus 10 minutes to transfer your answers to an answer sheet)
Number of sections:	4
Number of questions:	40
Marking:	Each correct answer receives 1 mark. Your final score is given as a band score in whole or half-bands, e.g. 5.5 or 7.0.

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Types of question

 

Question Type 1 – Multiple choice

What’s involved?	This type of question may be a question with three possible answers or the first half of a sentence with three possible sentence endings. You have to choose one correct answer, A, B or C, then write the correct letter on the answer sheet. Sometimes you are given a longer list of possible answers and you have to choose more than one answer. You should read the question carefully to check how many answers you need to choose.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests many listening skills, e.g. a detailed understanding of specific points, or general understanding of the main points of the recording.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 2 – Matching

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to match a list of items from the recording to a list of options on the question paper, then write the correct letter on the answer sheet.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to: listen for detailed information. For example, whether you can understand information about the type of hotel or guest house accommodation in an everyday conversation. follow a conversation between two people. recognise how facts in the recording are connected to each other.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 3 – Plan, map, diagram labelling

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to complete labels on a visual which may be: a diagram (e.g. a piece of equipment) a set of pictures a plan (e.g. of a building) a map (e.g. of part of a town). You may have to: select your answers from a list on the question paper, then write the correct letter on the answer sheet select words from the recording which fit into gaps on the question paper. In this case, you will need to keep to the word limit given in the instructions. You do not have to change the words in the recording in any way. You should read the instructions very carefully as the number of words or numbers you may use to fill the gaps can change. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. Write the words that fit into the gap on the answer sheet.
What skills are tested?	This type of question tests your ability to understand, for example, a description of a place, and how this description relates to the visual. It may also test your ability to understand explanations of where things are and follow directions (e.g. straight on/through the far door).
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 4 – Form, note, table, flowchart, summary completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to fill in gaps in an outline of part or all of the recording. The outline will focus on the main ideas/facts in the recording and may be: a form: often used for facts, such as names a set of notes: used to summarise information and show how different points relate to one another a table: used to summarise information that can be divided into clear categories, e.g. place/time/price a flowchart: used to summarise the stages in a process, with the direction of the process shown by arrows. You may have to: select your answers from a list on the question paper, then write the correct letter on the answer sheet select words from the recording which fit into gaps on the question paper. In this case, you will need to keep to the word limit given in the instructions. You do not have to change the words in the recording in any way. You should read the instructions very carefully as the number of words or numbers you may use to fill the gaps can change. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. Write the words that fit into the gap on the answer sheet. The questions are in the same order as the information in the recording: that is, the answer to the first question will be before the answer to the second question, and so on.
What skills are tested?	This type of question focuses on the main points the person listening would naturally write down.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 5 – Sentence completion

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to read sentences that summarise important information from either all of the listening text or from one part of it. You have to fill in a gap in each sentence using information from the recording. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. Write the words that fit into the gap on the answer sheet.
What skills are tested?	This type of question focuses on your ability to identify the important information in a recording. You may also need to understand relationships between ideas/facts/events, such as cause and effect.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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Question Type 6 – Short-answer questions

What’s involved?	In this type of question, you have to read a question and write a short answer using information from the recording. A word limit is given, for example, ‘NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER’. You will lose the mark for writing more than the word limit. Contracted words such as ‘they’re’ will not be tested. Hyphenated words such as ‘check-in’ count as single words. Write your answer on the answer sheet. Sometimes you are given a question which asks you to write two or three different points.
What skills are tested?	This type of question focuses on your ability to listen for facts, such as places, prices or times, heard in the recording.
How many questions are there?	Variable.

 

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DOs and DON’Ts

DOs

1. Listen carefully to the introduction to each section. This will give you useful information about the situation and the speakers.
2. Use the time at the beginning of each section (and in the middle of Sections 1–3) to look through the questions and think about the topic.
3. Read the instructions for each task carefully. Remember to check the maximum number of words allowed.
4. Write all your answers as you listen – remember, you won’t hear the recording a second time.
5. Check that what you write makes sense in the context.
6. Answer all the questions even if you don’t feel sure about an answer – you may have understood more than you think.
7. Wait until the end of the test to transfer your answers. You have ten minutes for this, which is plenty of time.
8. Write clearly when you transfer your answers. If an answer isn’t clear on your answer sheet, you will lose the mark.
9. Check your spelling (and grammar, where necessary).

DON’Ts

1. Don’t worry if you have to cross out or change an answer.
2. Don’t panic if you miss one question. Look ahead and concentrate on the next one.
3. Don’t try to rephrase what you hear. Write down the words you hear which fit the question.
4. Don’t write more than the maximum number of words or letters allowed for each answer.
5. Don’t copy any words that were printed before or after the gaps on the question paper when you transfer your answers to the answer sheet.

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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Is the Listening paper different for Academic and General Training?

No. All candidates take the same paper.

What information will I get before each section?

At the beginning of each section you will hear a short description of the situation you are about to listen to. This may give information about who the speakers are, where they are and what the general topic is. This description is not written on the question paper, so it is important to listen carefully.

Are all the sections equally difficult?

No. IELTS Listening tests a wide range of abilities, so the sections generally get more difficult from Section 1 to Section 4.

Will I have time to look at the questions before I listen?

Yes, there is time to look at the questions before each section. The voice on the recording will tell you which questions to look at.

Will there be an example at the beginning?

Yes, there is an example at the beginning of Section 1. The recording relating to the example is played twice.

How many times do I hear the recording?

You will hear each recording ONCE only.

Are the questions in the same order as the information in the recording?

Yes. This is true for all task types in IELTS Listening.

Will there be a pause during the recording?

There is a pause between each of the sections. Also, there is one break during each of Sections 1, 2 and 3 to allow you time to look at the following questions. However, there is NOT a break in Section 4.

Will I have time to check my answers at the end of each section?

Yes.

What accents do the speakers have on the recordings?

You will hear a range of English native speaker accents on the recordings, e.g. Australian, British and North American speakers.

When the instructions say that I should answer in, for example, NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS, will I lose marks if I write an answer with more than three words?

Yes. Answers which are longer than the word limit will be marked as incorrect.

Do answers in IELTS Listening have to be correctly spelled?

Yes. You will lose marks for incorrect spelling and grammar. However, words which you have to write will usually be common words. Both UK and US spellings are accepted. When you hear the name of a person, place, company, etc., in the recording, this may be spelled out.

 

People’s Career, Lakdi-Ka-Pul, Hyderabad Teaching Center.

Phone: 8374545621 / 961 801 8708

www.peoplecareer.net

http://peoplecareer.blogspot.com/2011/07/our-students-speak.html